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UPhethro Uchaza Ukwenza Kwakhe
1 Abapostoli labazalwane kulolonke elaseJudiya bezwa ukuthi abeZizwe labo basebelamukele ilizwi likaNkulunkulu. 2 Yikho kwathi uPhethro esebuyele eJerusalema, amaJuda, amakholwa asokileyo, amsola 3 athi, “Wangena endlini yabantu abangasokanga wadla labo.”
4 UPhethro wabalondela konke kusukela ekuqaleni, wakuchasisa njengokwenzakala kwakho, wathi, 5 “Ngangisedolobheni laseJopha ngikhuleka, ngehlelwa yisiyeziphupho ngaba lombono. Ngabona ulutho olwalunjengelembu elikhulu lisehliselwa phansi ngamagumbi alo womane livela ezulwini, lehlela phansi lapho engangikhona. 6 Ngakhangela phakathi kwalo ngabona izinyamazana zomhlaba zezinyawo ezine, izilo zeganga, izinanakazana ezihuquzelayo lezinyoni zemoyeni. 7 Ngasengisizwa ilizwi lingitshela lisithi, ‘Vuka Phethro. Hlaba udle.’
8 Ngaphendula ngathi, ‘Hatshi bo, Nkosi! Kowami umlomo kakukaze kungene ulutho olungahlanzekanga loba olungcolileyo.’
9 Ilizwi lakhuluma okwesibili livela ezulwini lathi, ‘Ungabokuthi ulutho oseluhlanjululwe nguNkulunkulu kaluhlanzekanga.’ 10 Lokhu kwenzakala kathathu, konke kwase kubuyiselwa njalo ezulwini.
11 Ngalesosikhathi amadoda amathathu ayethunywe kimi evela eKhesariya afika endlini engangihlala kuyo. 12 UMoya wangitshela ukuthi ngingathandabuzi ukuhamba lawo. Laba abazalwane abayisithupha labo bahamba lami sayangena endlini yendoda leyo. 13 Yasitshela ukuthi yabona ingilosi endlini yayo isithi, ‘Thumela eJopha ubize uSimoni owaziwa ngokuthi nguPhethro. 14 Uzakulethela ilizwi eliyilo elizakusindisa wena kanye lendlu yakho.’
15 Kwathi ngiqalisa nje ukukhuluma, uMoya oNgcwele wehlela phezu kwabo njengoba wehlela kithi ekuqaleni. 16 Ngakho ngasengikhumbula okwatshiwo yiNkosi isithi, ‘UJohane wabhaphathiza ngamanzi, kodwa lina lizabhaphathizwa ngoMoya oNgcwele.’ 17 Ngakho-ke, nxa uNkulunkulu wabanika sona lesosipho asinika sona thina esakholwa eNkosini uJesu Khristu, ngangingubani mina engangingakhumbula ukuthi ngingamelana loNkulunkulu na?”
18 Bathi sebekuzwile lokhu, kababe besaba lansolo, badumisa uNkulunkulu besithi, “Ngakho-ke, uNkulunkulu usebanikile labo abeZizwe ukuphendukela ekuphileni.”
Ibandla E-Antiyokhi
19 Kwathi labo ababehlakazekile ngenxa yokuhlukunyezwa okwaqala ngokufa kukaStefane bahamba baze bayafika eFenikhiya, leSiphrasi le-Antiyokhi betshumayela ilizwi kumaJuda kuphela. 20 Kodwa abanye babo, amadoda ayevela eSiphrasi laseKhureni, aya e-Antiyokhi atshumayela lakumaGrikhi, ebatshela ngezindaba ezinhle ngeNkosi uJesu. 21 INkosi yaba labo, ngakho abantu abanengi bakholwa baphendukela eNkosini.
22 Ibandla eliseJerusalema lakuzwa lokhu laselithumela uBhanabhasi e-Antiyokhi. 23 Ekufikeni kwakhe wazibona izithelo zomusa kaNkulunkulu, wathokoza njalo wabakhuthaza bonke ukuthi baqhubeke ngobuqotho eNkosini ngezinhliziyo zabo zonke. 24 Wayeyindoda elungileyo, egcwele uMoya oNgcwele lokukholwa. Abantu abanengi kakhulu balethwa eNkosini.
25 UBhanabhasi wasesiya eThasasi ukuyadinga uSawuli. 26 Esemfumene wahamba laye e-Antiyokhi. Ngakho okomnyaka wonke uBhanabhasi loSawuli babehlangana lebandla befundisa abantu abanengi kakhulu. Abafundi baqalisa ukubizwa ngokuthi ngamaKhristu e-Antiyokhi.
27 Ngalesosikhathi abanye abaphrofethi bafika e-Antiyokhi bevela eJerusalema. 28 Omunye wabo owayethiwa ngu-Agabhasi wasukuma eholwa nguMoya wabonisa ukuthi kwakuzakuba lendlala embi eyayizakubakhona kulolonke ilizwe lombuso wamaRoma. (Lokhu kwenzakala ngesikhathi sokubusa kukaKlawudiyasi.) 29 Abafundi bazimisela ukunika usizo kubazalwane ababehlala eJudiya, ngulowo enika ngokwenelisa kwakhe. 30 Bakwenza lokhu, bathumeza izipho zabo ebadaleni ngoBhanabhasi loSawuli.